Shri Madhavdas Ji

When Shri Madhavdasji's son died, something broke open inside him. He saw it clearly: all the dealings of bodies in this samsara are illusory. "I wished this son would grow up and the family would expand. But Prabhu, the true Karta, has shown me an altogether different lesson." He reflected further: "All these beings of mine, mother, son, the rest, have been sustained by Parameshvara alone, and Prabhu alone will continue to sustain them. If I claim the pride of being their provider, that is sheer arrogance."

With that realization burning in his chest, he renounced his household. He traveled to Nilachala-dhama, had darshana of his ishta-deva Shri Jagannathji, and then lay down alone on the seashore, abandoning hunger and thirst, absorbed in nothing but Prabhu's smarana.

Three days passed without food. His mana remained absorbed in Hari-smarana alone. Then Shri Jagannathji, unable to bear that His bhakta had gone hungry, sent the golden thali of His own shayan-bhoga as prasad. Shri Lakshmiji herself, her nupuras tinkling, carried it to the shore and set it beside him. He caught a flash like lightning but could not see her fully. Finding the mahaprasad, he was overjoyed, counted his great fortune, and ate.

From then on, he would enter the mandir and perform such loving, unblinking darshana of Shri Jagadishaji that he would forget all awareness of his body. By Prabhu's ichha, the pandas never noticed him lingering after hours. Once, in the cold season, he was left bare inside the mandir and severe cold gripped his body. At that same moment, Prabhu Himself began to shiver. He summoned the pandas through a dream, had them bring a new blanket, and wrapped Shri Madhavdasji in it with His own hands.

Another time, Madhavdasji fell gravely ill. His body could not hold itself. He dragged himself to the seashore. When he needed water for cleansing, Shri Jagannathji Himself came, brought water, and washed his entire body. Madhavdasji, recognizing Prabhu, joined his hands: "You abandon Your lordly majesty and perform such lowly service. This causes me the greatest distress."

Prabhu replied: "What can I do? Seeing the suffering of My bhaktas, I cannot remain still even for a moment." Madhavdasji said: "Then why do You not simply remove my affliction?" Prabhu said: "If I erase it, the residue of karmic experience would remain, and another body would have to be assumed to endure it. That is why I have not removed your suffering. Instead, I have set aside My ishvara-hood to serve you."

Later, a desire arose in his heart to see Shri Vrindavana. He set out walking. In a village along the way, a bhakta woman brought him home and began serving him prasad. To that blessed woman, Shri Jagannathji gave darshana in the form of a ten-year-old boy, standing right beside Madhavdasji. She began to weep. He asked why. She said: "Whose beautiful dark-complexioned child is this that you have lured along? How will his mother survive his separation?" Hearing this, Madhavdasji understood: Prabhu had revealed Himself to her. Both were submerged in prema.

Arriving in Shri Vrindavana, he went for darshana at the mandir of Shri Banke Bihariji. Someone outside gave him roasted chana. He thought: my hunger will be satisfied by this alone. He went to the bank of Shri Yamuna, offered the chana to Shri Gopala Lala, and sat eating. Meanwhile, at Bihariji's mandir, elaborate dishes had been placed before the murti and the mahanta sat in dhyana. In the bhavana, Bihariji spoke: "A dear bhakta of Mine has already offered Me chana as bhoga. I have no desire for all these dishes." The mahanta sent people running. They found Madhavdasji by the river. The mahanta laughed: "You are a detached virakta. You simply took the chana and walked away! Being indifferent to the world is well and good. But being indifferent to Rasika-raja Biharilal and to His prasad is not fitting."

At Bhandira Vata, a vairagi named Khamandas grudgingly gave him dry, plain food but secretly ate kheer by night. Madhavdasji perceived the deceit. Every grain of rice in the kheer turned into crawling worms before the man's eyes. Humbled and horrified, the vairagi fell at his feet. With patience and good counsel, Madhavdasji set him on the path of saint-seva.

He traveled onward to a village called Goli in Hariyana, where Bhagavata-katha was being recited beautifully. He stayed to listen. So free of pride was he that he himself collected and shaped cow-dung patties for the gathering. Only later, when people recognized him, did they fall at his feet.

Then he turned back toward Jagannatha-dhama. His route passed through the village where he had once lived as a householder. He thought: let me see my mother. Near the home, he asked after her welfare. Someone ran to tell her: "Your son has come!" His mother replied: "My son became a virakta. He is not such an unworthy son that he would return home again."

Hearing her noble words, he felt a wave of shame and swiftly turned back. He never entered that house. Victory to Shri Kripa. The charitas of Shri Madhavdasji are innumerable and boundless.